A tense debate at a recent Madawaska Valley council meeting has set the stage for a tough budget deliberation period in the new year.
Things got heated when council began to discuss what per cent of an increase would be acceptable.
A motion to direct staff to prepare budgets with zero per cent increases was defeated by a 2-3 vote. Councillors Shelley Maika and Joseph Olsheski proposed the plan, but lost the vote.
Eventually Mayor Mark Willmer and Councillors Mary Blank and David Shulist supported a plan to have staff prepare budgets that propose no more than 2 per cent increases.
But Maika, in this exchange with Wilmer, made it clear she thinks Township residents are already being pushed to the limit with their taxes.
“ Everybody who voted for me knows exactly how I feel about the level of taxation in this community,” she said. “ I don’t want to see a 1 per cent increase. I don’t care if it’s 50 cents more.”
Willmer tried to calm things by saying, “we do have different opinions and views on things and it’s fine to have them.”
Another tense exchange happened when Maika suggested department heads shouldn’t be allowed to “pad” budgets.
“It’s putting responsibility on department heads to cut the fat,” she said.
Willmer countered by saying, “that’s assuming and you use the word padding the budget. I don’t believe that (they are padding budgets),” he said.
“I do,” Maika said.
“ I don’t and I’ll defend staff on that one,” Willmer interjected.
Willmer stressed nothing is certain, heading into the budget season and the two per cent budgets are a “starting point.”
It doesn’t necessarily mean those budgets would be approved.
He said it’s easier for staff to come in with high budget proposals and then trim them down.